Olympic Champion Neeraj Chopra Honoured with Lieutenant Colonel Rank

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Olympic gold medalist javelin throw athlete Neeraj Chopra has got a big responsibility in the Indian Army. Neeraj Chopra has been given the title of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army. Neeraj Chopra is one of the best players in the world in javelin throw. Neeraj has won the gold medal in javelin throw for India in Tokyo Olympics 2020. Now he has been given the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army.

Neeraj Chopra created history by winning the gold medal in javelin throw at the Tokyo Olympics. He became the first track and field athlete to win an individual gold medal for the country. Neeraj won the gold by securing the first position with a distance of 87.58 meters in his second attempt. He won the first gold for India at the Tokyo Olympics. Neeraj Chopra was earlier in the post of Subedar in the Army. Because of Chopra, people have started knowing javelin throw in India. It is noteworthy that Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal in javelin throw for India at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Since then he had come into the limelight. He also won the silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Neeraj Chopra will participate in the 71st Orlen Janusz Kusoczynski Memorial Competition in Chorzow, Poland on May 23 after the postponement of the NC Classic proposed next week in Bengaluru.

Double Olympic medallist Neeraj was scheduled to take part in the NC Classic along with some other star players from around the world and India and was also supposed to host the event on May 24 but it was postponed due to the military conflict between India and Pakistan. In Chorzow, Neeraj will face the challenge of two-time world champion and Paris Olympics bronze medallist Anderson Peters of Grenada, Julian Weber of Germany and national record holder Marcin Krukowski of Poland, besides local players like Cyprian Merziglod and David Wagner. This competition in Poland will be the third tournament of the season for Neeraj. He started his campaign in South Africa and will now take part in the Doha Diamond League on May 16 where he won the title in 2023 (88.67m) and finished second in 2024 (88.36m). Neeraj will also face the challenge of Peters in Doha. Peters was also scheduled to compete at the NC Classic alongside 2016 Olympic champion Thomas Rohler of Germany and 2015 world champion Julius Yego of Kenya.